I believe this is one of the side effects of pred. Anyone have any tips short of a wig that may ease this symptom? I am very vain where it concerns my hair. I just had my hair finally cut after 1 year because of Covid. I also colored before but now grey and white. It is so disheartening. Just feeling sorry for myself and depressed.
Thanks for listening.
Hi. I can understand your distress. One or two things that may help are eating plenty of leafy green veg and omega 3 foods like good quality eggs-organic if you can get them. Keeping well-hydrated is important so lots of water. I've heard that scalp massage is useful and you should be able to get tips online for how to do this. Someone here mentioned that shampoos containing keratin are good.
Your hair wil grow back in time. 🙂
There are loads of posts about this subject - see related ones for a start, and also type in - hair loss, or hair thinning, or just hair in search box for more.There are plenty of videos on YouTube for dealing with subject as well- this is just one, but there are more -
It may not be the pred. Your hair is often a very accurate barometer of your health, it isn't uncommon for PMR and GCA to be reflected by it and typically you notice it a few months down the line. My hair fell out a lot in the early days of PMR - it drove my husband up the wall as my hair wasn't short - but it wasn't due to pred, I wasn't on any medication at all. The short wisps may well be new hair growth rather than broken ends.
I know how you feel - how my hair looked was the only thing about appearance that really bothered me. One of the most important people I left behind in the UK was my hairdresser - and finding one here has been impossible so far! I find one with promise and after a few visits they start doing the same thing the previous one did - there are a few things you cannot do with my hair and they persist in trying because it is what they do with everyone else. They can spend a week with the blow dry to make my hair do what the way they have cut it requires and by the time I get out of the car at home it will have disappeared. That might be fine had they not taken £50 off me for doing it!
As for colour - I embraced my natural platinum blond (aka white) at 40, years ahead of the curve!
Me too. I feel your pain and I’m so so sorry. I always had beautiful head of straight fine hair—- lots of it—- and have very little left of it now. I also have frizzy regrowth at the roots which doesn’t grow longer than two inches. I too was very vain about my hair —- it has upset me so much. I cut it to jaw level, which looks a bit better and use thickening shampoos. I intend to buy a hair topper as we are invited to a birthday party in July and I am pretty unrecognisable at the moment! I pray that it will come back as I reduce the Pred more. I am on 7.5 mg at the moment. I take every vitamin recommended including Viviscal —- nothing has made any difference. It is still coming out. If you find an answer to this please tell me!! Lots of luck and very best wishes xxxx
Have you tried Folic Acid?
Might be worth talking to your Medics. It is used, as far as I know, in people who are having chemo. Hair loss occurs in quite a few different chronic illnesses.
Hello lovely friend! Yes— my Doc can’t help. Says my thyroid etc is OK—- There is quite a bit of Folic acid within all the vitamins I take. He says I’m just one of the unlucky ones that lose a lot of hair. I just hope that as I reduce it will improve —- he says ( as all of you brilliant gurus do) that as l get to 5 mg—- lots of the unpleasant side effects will go. Then I have to go through the andrenal probs!!! Hugs and love xxxx
Are you taking Methotrexate? That really seems to cause hair loss. My straight greasy hair also went dry and frizzy due to the pred. I got it cut very short, but cannot do that at the moment.
BTW did you get to the QE?
No, there was a 7 month waiting list, so I stuck with my GP who is a lovely man and very caring and understanding. He lets me lead ( advised by you knowledgeable and terrific experts) and advises when necessary. However he insists on 6 weekly bloods and when in doubt he phones the rheumatology dept at the RVI.
We get our second Pfizer jabs tomorrow—- which is great—- really hope they give us immune suppressed people some protection! Have you had yours? Xxx
I’m not aware of this problem although come to think of it, mine is breaking a bit on the back where I lie. However I believe zinc is pretty important when it comes to hair and skin. I learned that when my son went through a period of alopecia ( nothing to do with PMR). He was prescribed Z span tablets which look like capsules of cake decorations. He was only 2 and it made him feel sick in the mornings so maybe the dose was a bit strong. His hair came back strong though. 😁. Others may know better than me and clearly too much zinc is not a good thing. Perhaps a supplement and mention it to your doctor. I’m vain about my hair too. It’s the crowning glory isn’t it. Hence the expression bad hair day. I also buy a colourant from the supermarket which has worked fine.
Hi, my hair became very thin when I was on higher dose of prednisolone but now that I am on a lower dose , 3.5 mg it has come back but is curly or as my hairdresser says, it has movement. I tried lots of different things but it didn't help until I was able to taper down the prednisolone
The same thing happened to me , i was losing so much hair ! on a high dose of Pred. For me it was one of the worst side affects of Pred ! I treated my hair very gently week after week with shampoo that helps thin hair. As my dose went down i started to notice my hair was growing back thicker each week. It was a symptom that really made me low ! Im now back on my normal shampoo with shiny hair ! Dont give up it will happen !
Hi I have only been on pred for five months and was worried about my hair thinning so I started taking biotin and collagen gummies which supposed to help hair, skin and nails and I use tresseme biotin repair shampoo which I find does help thicken my hair. Also it keeps it lovely and soft so easier to brush with less breakage.
Hi pomeranian, I know exactly how you feel, the same happened to me, clumps of hair came out each time I washed it, it was really upsetting, I tried different shampoos and vitamins but nothing really helped until my hairdresser suggested I try Absolute Collagen, it's quite expensive, it's £52 for a month supply but I was willing to try anything, after a couple of months I noticed my parting was not looking so wide, then my hairdresser noticed lots of new growth, I've been using it ever since, my husband said my hair is thicker than its ever been. It's also good for your skin and joints, it tastes rank but I mix it with squash so I can't taste it, I've added a before and after photo, hope this helps as I know how distressing it is to lose your hair, please ignore the grey lock down roots x
This was the before photo, I added them the wrong way round
Hi Poppytop, just a bit confused and intrigued re Absolute Collagen. Is it a shampoo or a drink?
Hi there, its sort of a drink, you are supposed to drink it straight out of the sachet I think but it's so thick and does not taste very nice so I mix it with ribena
Oh that's brilliant Poppylop! . I have similar hair thinning problems as have others so may spoil myself and give tis a try. Thank you so much. 😊
MY confusion is as to how it can work - the collagen in it is broken down in the gut so is absorbed as individual amino acids which the body uses but can't influence where they end up.
Good luck with it x
Hi Pomeranian.Me too !
No more wise words to add to the the comments already made by our friends. Just wanted to let you know that I understand exactly how you feel and send you a big hug.
I think my hair loss is starting to slow down( I'm on 5mg after 9 months) It seems slightly thicker at the root and less in my brush or on the floor each day 🤞
Hopefully you'll start to see some improvement as you reduce Pred.
I totally relate this, exactly the same happened to me but pleased to say I’m now down 2.5 mg and suddenly my hair has stopped falling out and I now seeing tufts of regrowth. My hairdresser rang me yesterday to arrange appointment once restrictions are lifted on 12th April. Can’t wait to have my hair done .
Two suggestions: wash your hair less frequently, and take Biotin supplements (5000 mcg daily).
My hair is as happy now (post-prednisone) as it’s ever been.
Have you considered that the short hairs may be REGROWTH rather than breakage? As you taper to lower levels, your hair should become thicker, but all long hairs start out short.
Hi, I understand your distress. I am not taking pred. but am experiencing hair loss exactly like you. I thought that it be caused by stress. My hairdresser suggested Rogaine. I am trying but too soon to see results.
Hi there, just came across your post by accident. It strikes a cord with me. I am the same, the past two years I fell I'll but unfortunately my drs are useless and have not diagnosed or helped me at all.
I am not on pred or anything but my hair has become beyond thin and wispy. it used to be luscious and attractive. I totally sympathise. During the lockdown obviously it's not been cut and ive let the grey grow. it's awful.
So I bit the bullet reluctantly and ordered a wig. my family laughed, I laughed but after I got it right for me and arranged it I took pics. everyone said "oh wow" who did your hair its lovely. they had no clue.
so I've ordered 3 more different styles to compare. It's all about confidence.
If you consider it I can recommend 2 reputable established companies, as there are some scammers out there.
Good luck.
I have GCA and PMR. I was started on 75mg prednisolone Nov 2019 and am now on 5 mg. My hair stopped growing as a result of the prenisolone at the same time that I had a moon face , buffalo hump etc. The hair at the back became very thin. I also started growing red gold sideburns which became 3 inches long. They looked great with my almost white hair! I had to shave every day for my mustache and chin. I didn't shave the sideburns as I hoped they would fall out- which they did! Then the hair on my head started to grow especially on top after months of no growth. My hair is almost normal now but still a little thin in places. I still have excess hair on my mustache and chin but much slower growing.
There have been many wonderful replies. I experienced the same thing and never knew if it was the steroids or the Actemra. My hair was always thick and kind of wavy. When I realized it was thinning I also noticed it was quite curly when wet and dull when it dried. I'm not sure how long it lasted, maybe four or five months and it slowly straightened out and got a bit fuller. I'm hoping yours passes also....every experience is shared but unique.💖
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